former federal prosecutor, Dowd, also 75, states in his motion that a N

NEW YORK -- A sign above the doorway at one end of the Mets clubhouse reads: Do Your Thing.Sage advice for the defending NL champs down the stretch -- no matter who is on the mound.Curtis Granderson and James Loney came through with big hits to back Robert Gsellman, and New York got another gritty start from an unheralded rookie in its banged-up rotation to beat the Washington Nationals 3-1 on Saturday night.Weve asked a lot of some young players and they have stepped up, Mets manager Terry Collins said. If you would have told me in April that Im going to look out on the field and Im going to have three players that were in our opening day lineup and four rookie pitchers to win a game, Id tell you youre out of your mind.Gsellman (2-1) pitched out of trouble for six innings, and inexperienced center fielder Michael Conforto made a diving catch that thwarted a potential Nationals rally in the seventh.New York rebounded from consecutive losses and won for the 10th time in 14 games, moving within one game of St. Louis for the final NL playoff berth.Were right there, Loney said. This is what we play for.Tanner Roark (14-8) allowed two runs over five innings and walked a career-high four -- one intentional. He was lifted for a pinch hitter in the sixth, but Washington never broke through and had its four-game winning streak snapped.Anthony Rendon hit a bases-loaded sacrifice fly in the first. Danny Espinosa struck out all four times up for the Nationals, who still have a 9 1/2-game lead in the NL East over the Mets.Hes swinging too hard when we need to put the ball in play, Washington manager Dusty Baker said. Thats something that were addressing and hes got to keep working on it.Making his third major league appearance and second start, the long-haired, 23-year-old Gsellman was pumped up after wriggling out of a jam in the sixth.With runners at second and third, he fanned Espinosa and got pinch hitter Ben Revere on an inning-ending groundout.Just take a deep breath and dont get too ahead of yourself, Gsellman said after his first career win as a starter. Make a good pitch and see what they do with it.Collins said Gsellman had about as good a sinker as Ive seen from anybody.Jayson Werth singled with one out in the seventh and ex-Met Daniel Murphy hit a line drive to center field. Conforto, however, charged in and made a sensational play that was probably more acrobatic than wise.It definitely felt good to get that one, Conforto said. Puts us in a bad spot if it gets past me, for sure.Rookie left-hander Josh Smoker struck out NL MVP Bryce Harper on a breaking ball way out of the strike zone to end the inning.Addison Reed tossed a 1-2-3 eighth and Jeurys Familia whiffed two in a perfect ninth for his major league-leading 45th save in 48 tries, extending his franchise record.New York had lost four straight and seven of eight to the Nationals.It was kind of a nothing game when we didnt come through all game, Baker said after his team finished 0 for 7 with runners in scoring position.On fireworks night at Citi Field, Granderson hit a two-run single in the third on the first pitch after Yoenis Cespedes was intentionally walked to load the bases with two outs.Loney, also struggling in clutch situations and dropped to eighth in the lineup for the first time all season, added an RBI double with two outs in the sixth off Matt Belisle. Travis dArnaud scored easily from first base when Harper overthrew two cutoff men from the right-field corner.BREAKING OUTGranderson got his first RBI since July 6 that did not come on a home run or sacrifice fly. He had been 0 for 22 with runners in scoring position dating to July 24, and 1 for 31 in those situations since July 7. ... With his first extra-base hit since Aug. 1, Loney ended slumps of 0 for 14 and 1 for 20.TRAINERS ROOMNationals: Max Scherzers next start was pushed back a day to Monday to give the ace right-hander extra rest.Mets: The team is leaning toward starting RHP Rafael Montero in place of RHP Jacob deGrom (forearm) on Tuesday night at Cincinnati, Collins said. To get him ready, Montero had his outing Saturday night for Double-A Binghamton cut to 29 pitches. ... Injured 1B Lucas Duda (back) recently started swinging a bat again and the club has not ruled out a return late this season. ... RHP Zack Wheeler has been shut down for the season. Wheeler had Tommy John surgery in March 2015 and was unable to make it back this year because of several setbacks in his rehabilitation -- most recently a strained flexor muscle.UP NEXTNationals: Rookie RHP Reynaldo Lopez made his major league debut July 19 and is 2-2 with a 5.33 ERA in five starts for Washington.Mets: Weather permitting, rookie RHP Seth Lugo (2-2, 2.60 ERA) makes his fourth career start Sunday night and tries to win his third in a row.Custom Toronto Blue Jays Jerseys . -- Catcher Brett Hayes has agreed to a $630,000, one-year contract with the Kansas City Royals, avoiding salary arbitration. Toronto Blue Jays Store . -- In one brief spurt, Brazil turned a close game into a rout and proved again it will be a strong World Cup favourite. https://www.cheapbluejays.com/ . A knee to the thigh might have stung him the most, but his sixth straight double-double made up for the brief burst of pain. Wholesale Blue Jays Jerseys . Note: The Calgary Flames announced Tuesday that Sean Monahan would not be made available to Canadas World Junior team. Stitched Blue Jays Jerseys . The 19-year-old Olsen played 34 games with the Kelowna Rockets of the WHL this season. In that time, hes recorded 17 goals and 17 assists with 36 penalty minutes.One month after Pete Rose sued him for defamation over a statutory rape allegation,?former Major League Baseball special counsel John Dowd filed for dismissal of the federal lawsuit.The motion filed Tuesday by Dowd, who led the 1989 MLB investigation of Roses gambling that resulted in his banishment, says the suit fails to establish that Rose suffered any financial damage from what Dowd said last year.In a July 13, 2015, radio interview, Dowd said Roses ex-associate, Michael Bertolini, told us that not only did he run bets, but he ran young girls for him down in spring training, ages 12 to 14.In his conversation with WCHE-AM of West Chester, Pennsylvania, Dowd added: Isnt that lovely? So thats statutory rape every time you do that.When NJ.com published Dowds remarks three weeks later,?Rose said they were shocking and unbelievable, and Bertolinis attorney provided a statement saying his client categorically denies them.The Rose suit, which seeks unspecified damages to be determined by a jury, says Dowds comments were false and malicious and caused footwear company Skechers and pharmaceutical company Ducere Pharma to opt against renewing endorsement contracts under which Rose would have received $315,000.One contention of Roses suit is that Dowd knew he had a deal with Skechers that would continue, and he made his comments with the intent to prevent renewal of the contract. The Tuesday filing calls the claim facially absurd.Dowds motion to dismiss says Roses suit offers no facts or chronology on the non-renewals, does not substantiate any connection between the radio interview and the two companies respective decisions and does not address other potential explanations such as:??a March 2015 Cincinnati Enquirer report with allegations that Rose financed cocaine deals;??an Outside the Lines report in June 2015 revealing a long-sought Bertolini notebook from 1986 that indicated Rose bet on baseball, including on his Cincinnnati Reds, while he was still a player.ddddddddddddRose has always denied that, despite his 2004 admission of betting when he was just their manager in 1987-88;??the December 2015 decision by MLB commissioner Rob Manfred rejecting Roses petition for reinstatement.Roses suit says when he and Manfred met on Sept. 24, 2015, about his possible reinstatement, they discussed Dowds accusation and Rose vehemently denied it. Tuesdays dismissal motion notes that Manfreds ruling contained no reference to the Dowd radio comments.Manfred gave permission for Rose, 75, to participate in Cincinnati ceremonies in June when the Reds inducted him into their Hall of Fame and retired his number 14. MLBs all-time hits leader lives in Las Vegas, where he often signs memorabilia at a store adjacent to a casino. Rose, a Fox Sports analyst, is ineligible for election to the Baseball Hall of Fame, but he was in Cooperstown, New York, last month signing autographs, as hes done for many induction weekends.A longtime criminal defense attorney and former federal prosecutor, Dowd, also 75, states in his motion that a Nevada defamation law should apply to the Rose suit, which was filed in U.S. District Court in Philadelphia. That law requires a plaintiff to file a written demand for retraction in order to collect anything other than proven economic damages. Dowds filing asserts that Roses noncompliance with his home states mandate should negate his other claims, such as for punitive damages and for allegedly suffering personal humiliation and mental anguish from the Dowd interview.Contacted Tuesday by Outside the Lines, Roses attorney Martin Garbus said, The motion will be denied, its a delaying tactic.Garbus added, Mr. Dowd will ultimately have to testify in court. A Pennsylvania jury will find that Pete Rose was libeled. ' ' '